Gang-plank.



J. BIDLAKE.

GANG PLANK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1911. BENEWED MAY 6.71914- 1,106,074. Patented Aug. 4, 1914,

THE NoRms Pls-raies co. pHoro-urna., wAs/rvaroN. n. l

TINTTED STATES PATENT FFTCE.

JOSHUA IBIIDLAKE, OF VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA. CANADA.

GANG-PLANIL Application ilcd August 21, 1911, Serial No. 645,252.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSHUA Rumania, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gang-planks, of which the following` is a full, true, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to construct and use the same.

The principal object of this invention is to so improve the construction of extensible gang planks that the same may be more readily extended and collapsed and moved to and held at various angles; and that the entire structure may be also readily moved longitudinally of a ship so as to bring the gang plank in register with the ships exit.

Other objects will appear as the invention is more fully described in the specification following, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 2 a rear end elevation, with the hinged approach removed. F ig. 3 an enlarged fragmentary side view of the ends of the telescoping sections. Fig. 1 a similar view in section upon the line -a of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1, 1a and 1b designate the sections of the gang plank, the section 1Fl telescoping into the section 1 and the section 1b telescoping' into the section 1a, the main bodies ot each 01:' the sections being; box-like in form, as best shown in Fig. 41; the bottom 2 of the section 1 being extended somewhat at 3 so as to better support the sections when they are all fully telescoped into each other. Extending upwardly from the section 1 are the standards 4., connected by the rods Similar standards la extend from the section 1a and which have one of the ends of the rods 5 permanently secured to them at G. The other ends of the rods 5a are looped around the rods 5, as at 7, so as to slide freely therealong. Extending along the sides ot the sections 1 and 1b are the ratchet teeth E3 with which coperate the catches 9, held in place by the plate 10, and which are normally held against the teeth 8 by the spring 11. Upon the top of the catch 9 are the teeth 1Q with which cooperates the latch 13. To the seetion 1 is rigidly secured the sector 14; which coperates with the worm 15 which runs in the bearines 16 upon the plate 17 secured to the frame 1S. The frame 18 is revolubly mounted upon the base :trame 19 by means Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patenten. au i, 1era.

Renewed May 8, 1914. Serial No. 836,814.

of, the pivot bolt 20. The `frame 19 is mounted upon the traction wheels 2l. The stem 22 of the worm 15 projects beyond the bearings 1G and has the large operating' wheel 28 secured thereto. To the lett hand end of the section 1 is hinged, at 21, the approach 2li which is provided with the standards 25 and rods E2G. The chains 2 connect one o1 the standards Q5 with one o1 the standards l so that when the approach 2l is let down as shown in Fig. 1 a convenient hand rail is aiforded.

From the toregr'oingl description it is believed that the constrmctirni and operation o1 my device will be fully understood by those skilled in the art.

It is obvious that when the plank is fully extended as shown in Fig. 1, a secure bridge is thereby Yformed from the wharf or other landing' to the exit of a ship, or from the exit of one ship to that of another. It is also clear that it the exit of one ship is above or below the horizontal plane oil the exit of the other ship or that ot' the whari:I or other landing', the planks may be readily brought to the desired angularity hy means ot the worm 15 and its coperating;V sector 14 and so held by the same means together with the catches 9, teeth 12 and latches 13. It, upon landing, the exit of the ship should not coineide or register with the plank the latter may be moved along upon its wheels 21 and thereby nicely adjusted to the exit by means of its swivel action upon the bolt 1Q. When not in use the sections 1, 1a and 1" may be teleseoped into each other, and when it is desired to extend these sections as shown in Fia'. 1 all that is necessary is to turn the wheel 23 so as to bring the right hand end o1 the teleseoped sections below the fulcrum 2S, when the sections 1n and 1" will o1 the1nselves slide outwardly by gravity, the catch 9 riding' freely over the teeth 8, until all the sections are fully extended, and locked in their extended positions by the catches 9 and teeth S. By now turning the operating' wheel Q3 the extended sections 5 may now be still further lowered or raised to any desired angle and the approach Qlt thrown out to form a complete bridge. The plank may be readily collapsed by lifting the same to an upward angle and first withdrawing the catches 9 of the section 1b from the teeth S and holding; the same in that position by droppin?,` the latch 13 into the teeth l2, which allows that section to slide back into the section l, when the section la may be treated in the saine manner. I have shown but three sections, but it ie obvious that any convenient number of the saine may be used with equal el'iiciency.

Many deviations in the details of the construction herein described are possible Without departing` from the Spirit and scope of niy invention, and I do not therefore desire to be limited to the exact form herein described, and shown in the accompanying drawings.

Having` described niy invention What I claiin as ne7 and desire to protect bV Letters Patent is- 1. The combination. in a gangplank of telescopic Sections, ratchet and pawl ineans for holding said sections rigidly extended With relation to each other, a sector and cooperating` Worm for bringing said Sections so extended to various angles and holding the same thereat, and a Wheeled platform upon Which said gangplanl is revolubly mounted.

2. rlhe Combination in a gangplank of telescopio sections, ratchet and paWl means for holding said sections rigidly extended with relation to each other, an upper frame in which one or" said sections is revolubly mounted, a sector and coperating Worin for bringing said extended sections to various angles, a Wheeled base frame supporting' said first mentioned frame and a pivot bolt connecting` Said frames to eaeh other whereby the entire structure may be Wheeled about and said upper franie revolved upon said pivot bolt.

Jo ernia BrDLAKn.

lVitnesses FREDERICK Ln'r'rs, VILLIAM RUSSELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente` Washington, D. C." 

